The veteran wide receiver suffered through a disappointing campaign in 2012, so it’s no mystery why his value declined immediately after the season.

He finished the season with only 801 yards and three touchdowns.

However, some key changes to the Chiefs in the offseason make Bowe a much more appealing target this time around.

He’s currently being drafted somewhere around the 57th pick on average in standard ESPN leagues, which puts him in the sixth round.

That’s far too low for someone with his potential entering the season.

Offensive Improvements

The biggest argument in Bowe’s favor is the improvement in quarterback play.

The combination of Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn was absolutely abysmal last year, and Bowe suffered for it.

Just let Grantland’s Bill Barnwell explain the depth of their ineptitude in his overview of Kansas City’s prospect for the coming season.

The Kansas City quarterbacks were just about that bad: They were last in the league in interception percentage, third worst in yards per attempt, sixth worst in completion percentage, and next to last in passer rating. When they faced third downs in two-touchdown situations and passed, the Chiefs succeeded just 25.4 percent of the time, with only the Cardinals playing worse. Once Quinn took over for good in Week 11, the Chiefs converted just 16.1 percent of third downs in that type of situation. The Cardinals were somehow lower, at 13.6 percent, but nobody else in football was below 27 percent.

Now Alex Smith steps in under center, which should improve Bowe’s prospects immensely.

Smith’s issues in San Francisco may have been subject to frequent scrutiny, but in Kansas City, his presence is an absolute blessing.

He might not have much of an arm, but any passer that can complete more than 70 percent of his throws, like Smith did last year, should be a huge benefit to Bowe’s numbers.

New head coach Andy Reid should help Bowe as well.

Not only does Reid have a reputation for developing quarterbacks, but his propensity for passing in the West Coast offense should give Bowe plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers.

The biggest threats to Bowe’s targets are most likely running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Anthony Fasano, but Bowe should have a monopoly on catches at the wide receiver position.

All in all, Bowe looks pretty appealing for fantasy owners.

As many as 20 different receivers are being drafted ahead of him, but players shouldn’t be afraid to reach for Bowe on draft day.

When faced with the prospect of drafting receivers headed to new offenses like Mike Wallace or Danny Amendola, or depending on players dealing with preseason injuries like Wes Welker or Victor Cruz, Bowe is a very tempting option.

Whether it’s as a starting wideout or a very capable backup, Bowe will be a solid addition to any fantasy team.